7teen: Girls Like Girls (Like Boys Do)
by Jupiter Queen
Summary: Ep. 8: When Nikki befriends Tristan, a wanderess with a life she can only dream of living, she further pulls away from her friends—especially Jonesy and Sydni.
1. Intro

_**Warning**_ _: Profanity._

 _ **A/N**_ _: I have returned with great tidings of joy—a.k.a. a new 7teen story. I'm actively trying to not procrastinate and actually do productive things in my spare time, so this came out of it. I hope you enjoy!_

 _ **Note:**_ _Some elements of this story are reminiscent of and mirror the episode "Role Reversal," but it's not a copy of that episode. It explores girl crushes and_ _female friendships_ _a little deeper._

 _By the way, this story is named after an insanely incredible Hayley Kiyoko song, which really deserves to be played on the radio. This story also contains hella references to "Hurricane" by your local blue-haired pixie Halsey._

* * *

7teen: Girls Like Girls (Like Boys Do)

The world moved in slow motion, or at least Sydni did as she skated. With every effortless push and turn, the past and present hit her.

It had been almost a month since she moved away from her heart and soul—from her friends and most of her family. What an interesting and excruciatingly long time it had been.

She pushed against the concrete ground, simply letting the force move her along, not involving her whole body and all her effort like she typically did.

Michaela and Danielle were only a call away, but cellphones and Skype weren't enough. Sydni knew what she had done when she'd helped her mom seal the deal on the decision to move—she knew she'd have to leave her old Baltimore life behind—but _knowing it_ and _feeling it_ were two different things. The heartache of leaving her girls and Marcus behind felt too real, often overtaking the heartache of losing Jake.

Skating with the gang, while a fun and entertaining experience, would never be like the skate-dates she, Michaela, Danielle, and sometimes Marcus planned.

"Hey, bra. You okay?" Jude asked after catching up with her.

She offered him a tiny smile and nodded, hoping it didn't seem forced. "I'm fine," she lied.

He hesitated before grinning. "That's good." He took her by the hand and led her towards Jen, Wyatt, and Caitlin. "Thought you could use some company," he told Sydni.

For once, she didn't doubt or refute anything, her innate stubbornness taking a break for one night.

With people like Jude around, maybe she would be better.

* * *

"Whoa, Jonesy, slow down!" Nikki yelled at her boyfriend, who'd been skating faster and faster each second. She'd gotten better at ice skating, but she was by no means an expert at roller skating.

"Sorry, babe. My natural need for speed kicked in," he said with a cheeky grin as he slowed down.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it did."

He held her hand and helped her bob and weave through people in her way.

After lying to her about what he'd done at Sydni's party, he'd been trying his hardest to make amends with her—even though the day after the party she already told him that it was fine as long as he didn't lie like that again. But, knowing him, she quickly added, "Or don't lie to me anymore this week." Despite this, he promised he would take her on lunch dates all week long, starting today.

In addition to the dates, he figured helping her with her roller-skating wouldn't hurt, either. He smirked. Maybe _impressing_ her with _his_ roller-skating would be better.

He wanted to twirl her around like they were dancing before catching her in his arms, hoping it would earn him a kiss or two. When he attempted this trick, however, he threw off her balance and sent her hurling away, eventually braking by crashing into someone.

"Oh shit," Jonesy said as he quickly skated towards Nikki, hoping she wouldn't murder him for this.

Before he could apologize to Nikki, he saw her talking to the girl she'd accidentally taken down.

The girl gripped the barrier surrounding the rink for support before lending a hand to Nikki.

"Sorry about this," Nikki said as she got up. She crossed her arms. "It's mostly my lunkhead boyfriend's fault, but, then again, I tend to be uncoordinated on skates."

"It's no problem; I suck at skating, too. I'm only here because my twin sister _dragged_ me," the girl said with a faint British accent. "Wait a sec, don't I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."

"So do you." Nikki squinted at her before it hit her, her eyes widening at the realization. "Oh, right—you go to Rockwood! You were in my chemistry class."

"Oh, yeah! That class was the absolute _worst_ ; Mr. Simpson would just go on and on and on _forever_." She rolled her eyes on the last word. "I don't think he's ever heard of a period, or, at the very least, a semicolon."

"No kidding." She snorted. "I think we skipped over the whole introduction thing, but I'm Nikki."

"Lovely name. My parents named me Tristan, as if I _look_ like a Tristan."

"You're not the only one with name issues. My full name's really Nicole, but it doesn't suit me, you know?"

"I definitely get you." She smirked, running a hand through her scarlet-tipped black hair—or at least the side that wasn't completely shaved off.

"I like your hair. It's pretty edgy."

"Thanks. Got it done as soon as school let out."

"That's probably why it took me a minute to recognize you. Nice."

Moments later, the rest of the gang joined Jonesy as he watched the conversation taking place in his midst, ignoring the people who skated around him.

Nikki turned around and noticed them, saying, "Oh, Tristan, these are my friends. Jen, Jude, Wyatt, Caitlin, Sydni, and—the lunkhead himself—Jonesy. Guys, this is Tristan."

"Hello." She gave a small wave. "Nice to meet you guys."

The gang greeted her in return as Jen asked, "You were in our chemistry class, right?"

"Totally." Tristan's eyes lingered over Sydni, asking, "I've seen you before, too. Weren't you locked in the bathroom here?"

"Yep, that was me. I _thought_ you looked familiar." She grinned sheepishly. "It's a small world, isn't it?"

"Very. So—"

"Tris!" A girl (who Nikki presumed to be Tristan's twin, due to their identical facial features) rushed towards Tristan and took her hand. "Tris, you have _got_ to come with me. I've found the most amazing girl for you and I can't wait to show her to you! I am _such_ a genius!"

With all that pep, Nikki found herself staring at the black-haired, grey-eyed version of Caitlin.

"Taylor, I'll be there in a moment. Just give me a sec, okay?"

"Sure. I'll be over there when you're done!" After pointing to a table situated just outside the rink itself, she skated away with grace and unbridled energy.

 _Maybe she's_ Caitlin's _twin_ , Nikki thought.

"Sorry about that. My sister never stops."

"No kidding." She chuckled.

"I probably shouldn't keep her waiting, but I think we should hang out sometime. I'm at the Galleria almost _everyday_ , but we can hang somewhere else if you'd like."

"So am I. I work at the Crappy Barn—I mean, the Khaki Barn."

"Oh, really? I work at Once Upon a Time."

"That new bookstore?"

"That's the one."

"Nice. Maybe I can drop by tomorrow. I'm off anyways."

"Sounds like a plan." Before stumbling in her sister's direction, she waved and said goodbye.

Nikki crossed her arms and half-grinned. "Hmm… I like her."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Electric Lady

Nikki couldn't stop wondering about Tristan. She seemed so cool and collected, not to mention intriguing. She began wondering why they hadn't talked during the school year. Maybe it was because Jen was her lab partner for most chemistry assignments and they never bothered to work with other people when the chance arose. However, she had no time to regret that—she loved spending time with Jen; she just wanted to make up for time she never spent with Tristan.

"Is something wrong, Nikki?" Caitlin asked, promptly shaking Nikki out of her thoughts and returning her to the table in front of the Big Squeeze. (She was never a daydreamer, but, then again, she was never so fascinated by someone.)

"Huh?" she asked.

"You seemed really distant for a moment," Caitlin clarified.

"I'm okay. Just thinking about some things," she said, remaining nonchalant.

As Caitlin and Jen resumed their conversation, Sydni stood up from her seat and said, "I think I'm going to head to work. Duty calls."

"And on that note, I think I'm gonna go hang with Tristan. See you guys later," Nikki said, quickly getting up and walking to Once Upon a Time.

As soon as she ventured inside, she was in awe at what greeted her. The store's design was sleek and modern, with luxe dark-wood bookshelves holding thousands of books and lights on each shelf illuminating them.

"Holy shit," Nikki muttered as she strolled around, now knowing how a kid in a candy shop felt. She didn't see Tristan anywhere, but—with dozens of books shouting her name—she truly didn't mind waiting.

She arrived at a section with travel books and picked up one about Peru. Taking her choice to a free table, she sat down and immersed herself in a culture and sights she hoped to one day experience.

Her eyes scanned the pages, absorbing every detail they could until someone said, "Looks like someone's a bit of a bookworm."

Nikki looked up, finding Tristan sitting on the other side of the table with a smile on her face.

"Being in here, I've evolved from bookworm to book slut."

After having a laugh, she asked, "So, whatcha reading?"

"Probably the best travel guide on Peru. I'm _dying_ to go there."

"Me, too! I've been everywhere _but_ there."

She blinked once. "Did you just say you've been everywhere?"

"Yeah. My sis and I travel a lot with our parents; we've been to an arseload of places. Some places my parents have liked a lot, enough for us to live in five different countries by the time Taylor and I turned seventeen."

"Assuming Toronto's the fifth, where else have you lived? Which place did you like best?" Nikki asked, hardly hiding her excitement. She was losing her own cool.

"The first place I've lived in is London, which is why me and my sis have picked up a slight accent; it's really odd because our folks are from California. But anyways, after London, we moved to Tokyo for a bit, which was super cool. _Then_ we moved to Madrid. Then Los Angeles because a lot of my family lives in that area. Finally, mum was like, 'Toronto's really nice, so why not move there?' I'm really torn between here and London though."

"How can you guys afford all of this?" While enamored by her nomadic lifestyle, by her being such a wanderess, Nikki's parents couldn't afford to move that much. They could afford one brief trip per year, but not things like sending her across Europe for a summer—the catalyst for Nikki earning her own traveling money.

"My mom has government clearances and contracts and other things she can't really talk about, so I guess that gives us the funds to move like we do. I'm not sure if we'll ever settle down somewhere, but we'll see."

"That explains a lot. God, it must be amazing to live abroad like that."

"It's kind of a catch-22. You get to live in the most amazing places and meet some incredible people, but then you have to leave that behind and start over again." She smirked. "On the bright side, I still keep in touch with the friends I've made. Plus, I never run out of stories to tell."

Nikki chuckled before noticing Tristan's book. "So, since you asked me what I was reading, now it's my turn. What's that?"

"One of too many psych books I've been reading. It's such an ace topic to study. Really fascinating stuff. Are you into it?"

"I can't say I've ever looked into psychology. It's not that I don't like it, though; I've just never found the time to study it."

"Oh my God—it's taken over my _life_. Maybe that's why my sister had to drag me out the house last night."

"Speaking of that, I still feel bad about crashing into you."

"It's fine, Nikki. Shit happens."

"Right." She grinned. "Shit happens."

Time flew by as they conversed about dream vacations, their favorite books and music, what they want to study in college, and—of course—psychology.

It was electrifying to be in the presence of someone who didn't belong to any city, who didn't belong to anyone. Tristan belonged to herself. Tristan flew wherever the wind took her, and Nikki was eager to hear about those destinations.

* * *

"Where is she?" Jonesy asked himself as he sat on a bench outside Saturday All Day, the restaurant he wanted to take Nikki to for lunch. She was over a half-hour late, no doubt prompting him to wonder what was wrong. If anyone was the late one in their relationship, it was him. Never her, unless she had a good reason. Sometimes her reason was his behavior. What if _he_ did something wrong?

 _Maybe it's because I hurled her into that girl last night. I bet she's still mad at me_ , he thought. _Shit._

Holding this in mind, he didn't bother firing off a "where are you?" or "I'm sorry" text. He just had to prepare to make it up to her the right way tomorrow, allowing her to blow off some steam today.

* * *

Jonesy stood up as soon as Nikki walked to their table the next day, pulling out her chair for her.

"Nice to see you, too," she said as she took her seat, an eyebrow raised.

"So, babe, everything going alright? You okay?" he asked, hoping she'd say yes. Hopefully she was over the roller-skating incident.

"Everything's fine, Jonesy." Cutting her eyes at him, she said, "The real question is if _you're_ okay."

His smile was saccharine, all friendly and no fuss. "I'm totally fine. Just wanted to give you this, though," he said, handing her a purple rose, just like the one in his daydream of them on a beach together. He hoped real-life Nikki would be easy to serenade like daydream Nikki.

"Oh wow, Jonesy, this is nice. A little out of the blue, but nice. I've got Crappy Barn duty in a few, but thanks." She left him with a peck on the cheek.

As soon as she walked off, his ego grew bigger at him being able to get her in his good graces once more. "Alright! Who's the man with the master plan? The Jonesmeister—that's who!"

Jen and Wyatt looked at him, then at each other.

"I swear he's losing it," she said.

Wyatt agreed.

* * *

"That's too funny, oh my God," Nikki said, wiping a tear out her eye. "...Huh? ...Oh yeah, of course I'll meet up with you for lunch later. ...See you later, Tris."

After Nikki hung up her phone, Sydni asked, "Who was that? It can't just be anybody making you laugh like that."

"It's Tristan. I swear that girl is effortlessly cool, plus she makes me laugh my ass off."

"She seems pretty great. I'm glad you found someone to bond with."

"Honestly, I am, too. She's been teaching me about psychology and what really makes the human mind tick. She even said love is psychological for the most part. Apparently, different kinds of love can be broken down into a triangle made of intimacy, passion, and commitment; it's Sternberg's triangular theory, but it's also related to theories about _eros_ , _ludus_ , and _storge_."

"That's interesting; I never knew that. I take it Tristan's going into that field after college."

"Yeah. Hell, I think _I_ might take a class in it when I get to college; never knew it could be this interesting."

"Maybe I should sign up for it, too," Sydni joked. "That'd be fun."

* * *

Sydni was supportive of Nikki's friendship with Tristan—she had no genuine reason _not_ to be—until two days later when _her_ friendship with Nikki was benched.

Their conversations at the Khaki Barn became scarce and practically nonexistent as she spent time on the phone talking to Tristan, or time at lunch with Tristan, or time talking _about_ Tristan. Their own friendship was being consumed by Tristan and, no offense to her, it was becoming troublesome.

Hearing about how she was such a hurricane—a fucking wildcard—made Sydni feel like a boring-ass gust of wind.

She needed a confidant to reveal her feelings to, especially because she felt like she was losing a friend all over again.

* * *

"Caitlin," Sydni said as she sat on one of the Lemon's stools, "how do you deal with friend jealousy?"

"Is this about the whole Tristan-Nikki thing?"

She nodded.

"What's up?"

Sighing, she said, "I really find comfort in hanging with Nikki, especially because we spend a lot of time at the Khaki Barn together, but lately she's been spending all of her time with Tristan. I don't mind them being friends and all, but now it's like I don't exist." She frowned. "I really don't know what to do, Cait."

She didn't want to lose the ever-growing Nikki-Sydni dynamic, not faster than it had begun, especially not after their friendship had bounced back from the blog incident. Even though Caitlin and Sydni had formed a solid friendship too, she still didn't feel right about invading the existing dynamic between Caitlin and Jen. If there was anything she'd learned growing up, it's that friendships were as complex as romances, maybe even more complex at times. _At times_ being _right now_.

"If there's anything I've learned from articles about winning friends back," Caitlin said, "it's that dressing and acting like them helps."

"So you want me to be Nikki's clone?" Sydni asked, unsure if she wanted to support this theory.

"I know it sounds crazy, but Nikki and Tristan are alike, right?"

"I mean, yeah, I guess so."

"Maybe she's into her because of their similarities. If you act more like her, maybe you'll be able to get her back."

"Okay, this is making more sense. Still a little crazy, but I get it."

 _And, right now, it's all I've got._


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Don't Belong to No Man

"I don't know how to feel about Tristan's sister, Taylor. She's kind of a boyfriend stealer," Caitlin said as she poured Nikki a cup of lemonade.

"What's your reasoning behind this? Fascinate me." Nikki snorted.

"It's just some guys I've gone out with and broken up with, she's gone with them afterwards. And it's not like it's one or two guys; it's most of my exes."

"Caitlin, she goes to our school, right?"

She nodded.

"And most of the guys you've dated go to our school, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Case closed." She sipped her lemonade.

"I still think she's a boyfriend stealer. Plus, she's majorly peppy—like _overly_ peppy."

"Caitlin, have you not seen yourself? _You're_ overly peppy."

"Something's still up with her."

Nikki rolled her eyes and gave up. "Whatever you say, Caitlin. Whatever you say… I'm gonna go meet up with Tristan; I'll see you later."

"Later, Nikki," Caitlin said, sighing once she was alone. She knew Nikki and the others wouldn't understand her issue with Taylor, of how she got in the way of her pursuits sometimes. It was irritating because she was so naive to the things she'd (inadvertently) take from Caitlin. She never seemed to realize she was picking up the guys Caitlin dropped or even taking a starring role she'd wanted in one of their school's productions. Tristan may have been as cool as the sea and as wild as a hurricane—which Caitlin gathered from Nikki's ramblings about her—but Taylor was a kiss-up and a faux saint.

Caitlin sat alone with her thoughts for about twenty minutes until Jonesy showed up to the Big Squeeze.

He slumped onto a stool and rested his arms on the counter. "Mind if I vent?"

"Go for it." She had been the gang's open ear this week anyways; it was her second job to hear people out at this point. (Too bad she wasn't getting paid for it.)

"I have no clue where Nikki's been these past few days. She's been ignoring all my texts and calls, plus she's ditched every lunch date this week, including today's." His eyes filled with panic. "What if she's trying to break up with me? I didn't mean to make her fall at the roller-skating rink if that's what she's still mad about, I swear!"

"Oh no—you don't know?" Caitlin asked.

"Don't know what?"

She bit her lip, knowing she would have to break some bad news to him, but not knowing how he'd react to it. "Nikki's been hanging out with Tristan like everyday this week. I thought she told you about it, but apparently not." She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"No need for an apology, Cait," he said, seemingly calm at first. His face grew more frustrated as he thought about it, remembering Tristan as the girl he'd accidentally hurled Nikki into. "Nikki's the one who should be apologizing, right?" he said, his voice bitter.

She didn't reply, feeling sorry for him.

He stood up, instructing, "If you see Nikki and she actually asks where I am, tell her I'm anywhere Tristan _isn't_."

* * *

Nikki never grew tired of being around Tristan; she only thrived. Tristan was an odyssey, a storm. They talked about any- and everything in each other's presence: wandering the earth, understanding the human mind, freaking out about DawgToy's new album, among other amazing things. It was refreshing.

"…Man, I love that song," Tristan said.

" _Same_." Nikki sighed just thinking of DawgToy's harmonies. They truly were her musical weakness. "I would sing some of the lyrics, but I sing like shit."

"I do, too. Doesn't stop me from doing it, though," Tristan said, giggling afterwards. "But I bet you've got a lovely singing voice, Nik."

"Thanks for being kind, but you're wrong." She snorted. (The way Tristan called her _Nik_ reminded her of Jean, further reminding her to actually _call_ Jean, seeing as they haven't spoken in a while.) "I've met a lot of girls, Tris, but I haven't met one as cool as you in a while."

She blushed and looked away. "Now _you're_ the one being too kind."

Nikki shrugged. "Just being honest. I really like you."

"I really like you, too," Tristan said as she met Nikki's eyes, ghosting her fingertips over Nikki's arm. She could honestly dive into her brown eyes; they were warm and inviting, but not nearly as inviting as her lips.

Before she knew it, Nikki found herself being kissed. That's when realized Tristan didn't just belong to any city—she didn't belong to any man either. She was held captive in her kiss, but she didn't mind for some reason. It was a confusing, surreal ordeal and, even though it didn't last as long as she felt it did, she felt _something_.

But even though she felt something, she quickly broke away, captive no more.

"Whoa," Nikki said, wide-eyed.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I was totally into you and I really felt something and I _completely_ forgot you have a boyfriend. Holy crap."

Slowly recovering from their lip-lock (but not forgetting it), she said, "No need to be sorry. It's not an issue. Plus, it's not like I mentioned Jonesy much… Oh, shit—Jonesy!" She abruptly stood up and rushed towards Once Upon a Time's exit. "I really need to go talk to him—not about the kiss or anything—but we can continue to sort things out later."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you later, Nikki."

Even as she had left the store—going back to just being _Nikki_ —she was still entranced by the kiss Tristan gave her. Her lips tingled, but now it was less about Tristan and more about other girls.

She was in love with Jonesy, a _guy_ , but definitely caught feelings for a girl, on more than one occasion now that she thought about it. She did feel a spark with Jean in the beginning of their friendship, entranced by her aura and her stories and the way she bonded with Nikki. She even recalled forming a brief yet intense friendship with a girl staying at the same hotel as her during her family's trip to Acapulco; they never kept in touch, something Nikki regretted, but she still had a place in her mind. Now Nikki realized it wasn't just a _friendly_ place she had saved for her.

Of course she knew girls liked girls, but she never realized _she_ was one of those girls who liked girls.

 _Holy hell, am I—_

Before she could answer her own question, she ran into someone. She dryly laughed to herself, wondering if she would fall head-over-heels for _this_ girl she bumped into.

"Sorry about that. I— Sydni?"

"Hi, Nikki," Sydni said, awkwardly flaunting her new look. Taking the advice Caitlin had given her and going on a subsequent shopping spree, she decided to dress like Nikki, hoping it would win some of Nikki's camaraderie back. She planned on unveiling her new (and temporary) style to her sometime today, but not this soon. However, she figured now was as good as ever. "As you can probably tell, I really like your style." Which was the honest truth.

Between still being held captive in Tristan's kiss and the lingering questions about her sexuality, Nikki couldn't fully process Sydni's sudden makeover, consisting of heavier makeup, a ripped red crop top, baggy black cargo pants, and matching Converse.

"Uh…" was all she could muster, giving Sydni the answer she should've seen coming.

"I should've known," she said, deflated. She stared at the tile beneath her feet and fiddled with her ever-present bracelet. Before leaving, she explained, "I just wanted to remind you I'm still your friend, but I shouldn't have tried."

And now Nikki was alone with her confused mind.

 _Great day, Nik. Great fucking day._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Opposite Day

Every time Sydni tried—no matter what she tried to do—her actions either bubbled up and spilled over or blew up in her face entirely. This situation was more in-her-face than anything.

Wondering why she even tried, she slumped over on a bench near the Galleria's fountain, ironically where the gang threw her over a week ago.

She stared at the floor beneath her until it grew blurry and out of focus.

"Caitlin always tells me not to slump. Apparently, it's 'bad posture,'" someone said, snorting afterwards.

Looking up and seeing Nikki, the only person she knew who snorted like that, Sydni said, "I don't really slump often. It's not exactly my thing."

"Mind if I sit beside you?"

She broke eye contact. "I don't mind." Neither of them spoke for a moment. "I'm really sorry about"—she gestured towards her ensemble—"all of this. I took some advice Caitlin gave me about 'dressing like a friend' to win their attention back, but now I just feel like a silly '90s grunge chick."

"Why are you apologizing? You're fine. If there's anybody who should be sorry, it's me for being a bad friend." She sighed. "I got so caught up in someone so similar to me that I guess I forgot about the other people in my life that matter, including you."

"Of course you got sidetracked. I think we get caught up in people who act like us because it's like looking in a mirror."

"I guess we're all a little vain, then," Nikki confessed with a chuckle.

Sydni managed to smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"By the way, you don't look silly. I think you look cool." Nikki smirked. "I just might have to borrow that outfit, by the way."

"Thanks." Brushing a wild strand of hair away, she asked, "You mind if I confess something?"

"Knock yourself out."

"I think I got kind of 'friend jealous' when you started chilling with Tristan after we'd started getting close. When I develop connections with people, I just want to keep them for as long as I can. Good people like you and the gang are hard to come by"—especially because she only had _three_ best friends in Baltimore compared to _six_ here—"and I just wanted to hold onto you."

"I understand, and I just want to let you know that you're a really good friend."

Hearing Nikki say this to her lifted her spirits. It made this in-her-face situation worthwhile. "You're a really good friend too, Nikki. I'm really glad to have you and the gang in my life."

Nikki smiled. "Don't make me get all sentimental, Bambi… Hey, as long as we're exchanging confessions, mind if I share something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Tristan kissed me earlier."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, no kidding." Her mind whirled like a hurricane after her confession, thinking of how good another girl's lips felt on hers, how it felt _right_. She didn't want to give Jonesy up—she loved him too much (and she made another mental note to find him after this)—but she didn't mind being with a girl either. "The most confusing part is that I liked it."

"So… do you think you're bisexual?" Sydni asked.

"I think so." Nikki slowly nodded, coming to terms with it. She didn't think of it as a negative, but now she knew which term fit her orientation best. Embracing it, she said, "I'm bisexual as _hell_."

"Well, that's great." Patting her on the shoulder, she asked, "Do you think you'll tell Jonesy?"

She shrugged. "He'll find out in due time. Speaking of that lunkhead, I owe him a huge apology."

" _You_ owe _him_ an apology? Is this opposite day?"

"Apparently." The more it soaked in, it _was_ opposite day, because _she_ was in the wrong for once. Nikki Wong may have had a lot of pride, but she did have her faults. "I'm gonna go find him now."

"Hey, Nikki—before you go, I just wanted to give you this," Sydni said before pulling her into a hug.

Her eyes widened due to the hugging ambush, but she accepted it, joking, "Someone's been hanging around Caitlin too much."

Sydni chuckled, appreciating the warmth of her friend. Her really good friend. "Maybe."

* * *

Nikki searched the mall for a half-hour before she found Jonesy sitting by himself on a bench outside Saturday All Day. She figured he'd be here upon remembering she was supposed to meet him here on Monday, the day after she met Tristan.

She approached him, asking, "Hey, mind if I sit here?"

He didn't reply.

She sat beside him anyway, prompting him to scoot away.

"Listen, Jonesy, I'm really sorry about this week. It just hit me today that I'd been neglecting you, and I never meant to do that. I've been really selfish and stupid." She had to push her pride aside to admit that; under ordinary circumstances, she wouldn't call herself stupid, but this was far from ordinary. It was opposite day. "I apologize."

She placed a caring hand on his shoulder, only for him to brush it away. He looked in the opposite direction, pretending she was just a ghost.

"You know I love you, and I feel crappy that I hurt you."

"You made me feel stupid, like I did something wrong all week. You didn't even tell me what you were doing; I had to find out from _Caitlin_ ," he said, still refusing to make eye contact with her. She figured as much.

"I know, and I'm definitely an ass for that."

"Yeah, you are."

"You didn't have to agree so fast," she joked.

He glanced in her direction. "I have the right."

She sighed, admitting, "You do. You're not the only one with the tendency to screw up—I've proven that this week—but I'd do anything to make it up to you."

A mischievous smirk graced his face. "Anything, huh?"

"Nothing sexual, Jonesy," she quickly clarified.

"I wasn't thinking that way, unless you _wanna_ do something risque." She playfully hit him as he purred at her, prompting him to say, "How about you take me to lunch at Saturday All Day and then we can do a little making-up making out later?"

"I don't mind that." She leaned towards him and gave him a warm, lingering kiss on the lips, savoring the sparks she missed feeling with him.

Even so, she couldn't help comparing this kiss and their post-lunch make-out to the kiss she shared with Tristan.

She was a girl who liked boys and a girl who liked girls. Nothing new.

* * *

 ** _A/N_** _: Ever since that "Role Reversal" episode of 6teen, I've had a serious headcanon of Nikki being bi and—even though I'm sticking with Jonesy/Nikki through this story series—I wanted to establish the fact that she's in a heterosexual relationship and can still be bisexual. I felt that was important to note._

 _And, yes, Saturday All Day is a shitty parody of T.G.I. Friday's and Ruby Tuesday. (Don't sue me, lol.)_


End file.
